Greg from Chestertown

Sounds like they’re just trying to get by, similar to a show at the cork when Eaton’s voice was shot. They just played around it all night long. Or when Eaton had a family thing and missed shows. We got a handful of Jerry Band shows. It’s all good. I had a blast! My father passed away this spring. Today is his birthday. Saturday was my first show without him. I was able to work out things while dancing. My last visit with him, he said something that had me respond with, ‘There’s nothing you can hold for very long.’ It was so good for me to hear Stella Blue, Eyes, Box of Rain, baby blue just for my Dad's sake. Missing Sunday’s show was not just about being physically beat as it was about being emotionally satisfied. It’s not just about the music. The music is the vehicle. There’s other reasons we go to shows. This latest Dark Star Orchestra show brought me back to where I belong. Thank You, band.

Yea, the moon rising flashed me back to JFK Stadium’89 when Jerry was singing Standing on the Moon and sung, ‘right up there on that crescent’, while pointing at it. The Wells Fargo center sits on that spot now. It. Was weird to not see the Spectrum and to have the band set upon what was once Vets Stadium. That area and parking lots are some hallowed ground. I’ve seen 26 of the 53 shows the Grateful Dead played at the Spectrum, ‘87 and ‘89 JFK, Saw The Dead at the Spectrum, Dead and company at Wells Fargo. So many memories all the way back to day one, forty years ago just this past week. So nice to have Dark Star Orchestra play the parking lot there, recycling the energy. So nice and exciting that I ended up overdancing, had too much too fast, forced to sit out the second night. After all these years, I still can’t help myself when I hear the music live. .... I lose my self control. That’s what love is, baby....That’s what love will make you do.

Yes, nice job Hardpan. It felt so good to read a review, comments. Even better to hear that all went well, no rust. Original or elective? I’m glad you got mission in the rain, sorry we won’t in Philly. Again, nice report, looking forward to tonight in Philly.

Orange you glad that he’s in charge? I keep thinking about how his formal education is at a military school. Scares me. He’s up to something and making headway. All the nonsense that froths from his mouth reminds me of a magician who is flashing his hand around over here while the other hand is putting the rabbit in the hat. There’s the distraction and then there’s the action.

Decaf?

Hey!, what about Kid Charlamagne? That would be appropriate. I found myself singing old folks boogie by little feat earlier today and was wondering if that was a possibility for this list.

Yes, Philly!

You articulate well, Mojo. Nicely said. Rude’s posts have triggered thoughts with me but I have hesitated to post because this is all about the good ole’ Grateful Dead and Dark Star Orchestra first and foremost. In Rude’s defense, in his posts, it is obvious that this COVID thing has effected his life more than it has effected some of us. His livelihood has vanished. Might as well have taken his testicles. Gotta cut into manliness. He’s freaking and venting, first and foremost.

Lou Reed, take a walk on the wild side.

Caught a show in RFK, early nineties. Coming out of space, they started the John Denver tune, Take me home, Country Road.’ They all kinda looked at each other then put it back down, almost like no one knew the words so they couldn’t pull it off. Woulda been a classic if that had happened.

Fat man in the bathtub. Ah, the pitter patter of Little Feat.

Gotta be some Steely Dan that would work. Early stuff like show biz kids or My Old school, maybe something off of Aja? Josie?

It has been so nice the last couple of days to watch the news and have it be articles that are positive, forward looking, since Biden announced his VP pick, as opposed to the usual ‘ what stupid thing did Donald do today?’

So, I went fishing yesterday. As I was pulling my twelve foot mega yacht back out of the water at the boat ramp, this guy walks up to me. He says, I saw your license plate and thought, is that the Grateful Dead song And then when you pulled the boat out and I saw the stealie on the transom, I figured it must be the Dead song. We started talking. I explained to him his necessity to catch Dark Star Orchestra. Turns out he saw Jerry and the boys and girl at Red Rocks, 7/08/78.

Paul Simon, Late in the evening.

I was really tired. I had been using a chainsaw all day, not PCP. This debate over the best hard to handle got my to google heady version to see what other versions were in consideration. On that website, people voted the 8/06 version the best HTH with 174 votes. 4/29 took second place with 52 votes. My choice of 2/24 didn’t even make the list. Except for 12/31/82(?), every HTH on the list was from 1971.

Interesting, headyversion has 8/06 and 4/29 in first and second place, respectively. 8/06 had 174 votes to 4/29 at 52 votes. All others were 1971. My vote didn’t register.

Well, I just listened to both versions, in chronological order. They both were enjoyable listens in their own right. Pig seemed to do a better job with 4/29. Audience reaction is easy to hear on 8/06. I’m gonna call it, they’re both tied for second place! Now, go listen to 2/24/71 hard to handle. Coincidentally, that tape has been getting a turn in my truck as of late. A completely different interpretation and two months earlier. Go figure. It’s the Grateful Dead. That’s why these friendly debates are still happening 25 years after Jerry’s passing, 49 years after their original performances.

You two have inadvertently given me a homework assignment. I love it. Thanks!

Lmao! My mother would always say, if you don’t have anything nice to say, don’t say anything at all. The thing that I liked about Philly was that they were the first shows back, now they’re not. Wish I had listen, whoa, what Mama said....

Just got my refund for Hamilton shows, two plus weeks after the show was supposed to happen, if that’s any indication.

Allman’s whipping post or Neil young’s Southern Man come to mind. Randy Newman’s Short People?

I like what Jerry said about tapers. After we play it, we’re done with it. They can have it. Talk about moving the music forward, experimentation.

Ha ! I checked it out this morning. I was thinking earlier today how Dark Star Orchestra, this forum and it’s posters, your deadbase game, the internet, etc. has opened up the Grateful Dead universe to me. I started in 1980, so have always been a Brent fan and always drawn to that time period as far as listening to tapes. Catching Dark Star shows got me listening to seventies shows, seeking them out on the internet, getting an understanding of that era. About a year ago, I started to pull up shows from today’s date. A great way to explore all of the different eras of the Grateful Dead. There is so much to study. They make you listen to every note. All of it is important. It’s deep. I credit Dark Star Orchestra for keeping the wheel turning and keeping me from not fading away. Moving forward, I’m thinking one of the nights in Philly will be an elective possibly with a theme fitting of these crazy times of late.

So, I am watching public television last night, the series about the National parks. They’re talking about Yellowstone and the background music breaks into the studio version of Sugar Magnolia. I think Ken Burns just told on himself. He must have seen Some shows.